Underrated Horror

From time to time horror movies come along and they don't get the respect they deserve.  Sometimes this get remedied years later, but a few always take longer.  Here are two that I think deserve a second look from the horror community.

House of Wax.  Released in 2005 and although it shares a title with the 1953 Vincent Price film, that's all they have in common.  The biggest reason this movie got a bad rap was one of its stars.  Paris Hilton, while widely hated at the time, did a good job in the movie.  The films plot was actually more reminiscent of another underrated film Tourist Trap. While the movie doesn't really break any new ground, it's a well made and an effective horror film. 

 Dead Silence Under studio pressure to produce another horror film after SAW, James Wan and Leigh Whannell delivered this film.  This movie has several very creepy scenes. 

"Soon you'll be in more successful things"

Let's be honest, it's hard not to make a ventriloquist dummy creepy.  Not everything in it makes 100% sense, but it still works.  The ending is definitely a memorable one!

So take a second look at these and have an open mind when you do.  I think you'll be surprised.  

The horrors of Mega-Con

I went to Mega-Con in Orlando this weekend.  Here are some of the horror related Cosplays I saw and a couple of shots of Norman Reedus.

It Follows

At least it was a roomy backseat. 

I saw this last night and I really enjoyed it. I wouldn't say it was the scariest movie I've ever seen, but it was the most original concept.

It was shot beautifully, very reminiscent of "Halloween". There were lots of wide shots and it made you start scanning the background for things. 

The set design felt very real too, the houses actually looked lived in.  Many movies have perfect looking homes and it never quite feels real.  These are houses that have dirty walls, mismatched furniture and cluttered rooms. 

 My biggest complaint is that they never really got into the history of the creature. I wanted to know why it was doing what it does.

I've had worse dates honestly.

 The actors feel as real as the surroundings. These aren't the typical pretty teens who look like they came from a modelling shoot. Maika Monroe, who was amazing in "The Guest" continues to shine here. 

Writer/director David Robert Mitchell has earned a place in horror history with this one. 

The Taking of Deborah Logan

I wasn't keen on the idea of another found footage film, but I'm glad I took a chance on this one.

Written by Gavin Heffernan and Adam Robitel and directed by Robitel as well.  The pair did a great job with the story and Robitel creates some truly creepy imagery.

What distinguishes this from other found footage films is the story.  It's more than just people in the dark shouting.  The characters all have developed stories and don't behave in typical horror movie fashion.

Jill Larson does an amazing job in the titular role.  He transformation is amazing and terrifying.


This is a very impressive debut from Adam Robietl and I hope he does more in the horror genre. 

Digging up the Marrow

In the past you could be surprised by a movie, hard to believe I know.  There are whole websites devoted to nothing but movie spoilers now.  Even if you don't look at those sites the information filters down to you through Facebook or other social media sites. 

I went into "Digging Up The Marrow" knowing as little as possible.  Writer/director Adam Green has kept most of the details about the movie secret, and that's a good thing.  I could have dug around on the net and found out more, but I chose not to. It was the right choice.

The absolute best way to see this movie is to go in blind.  Just start watching and slowly get dragged into the world. 

I'm not going to give any more details here, just watch it. 

Ray Wise really knocks it out of the park in this movie.  He's always an actor you can count on to deliver a great performance, and he's at he top of his game here. 

I only have one real complaint about the movie.  The weird jazzy soundtrack at the beginning seemed out of place. 

A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge

 I went to a convention this weekend and they had a very interesting panel.  They got the cast of "A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge" together and let them reflect on the movie.  It was very cool to see the whole cast and hear their stories about the film. 

The whole cast, the venue was pretty small too.  Easy to get seats. 

Clu Gulager and Robert Englund

Director Jack Sholder, who also directed "The Hidden"

Robert Englund

Poltergeist Remake

It actually looks pretty good.